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A breeding program has been developed for the Latvian warmblood heavy type horses in Latvia, with the aim to preserve this type, because the number of these horses is small and the status of the local endangered breed has been granted. The aim of the study was to analyse the genetic structure, inbreeding and effective population size of the Latvian warmblood heavy type (LSB) horse population. Horses that were living at the time of the study on January 1, 2023 were used for the study. A total of 374 genetic resources live horses were analysed. Population structure analysis, inbreeding and effective population size were investigated. Calculations were done by POPREP (v1.0) software. The effective population size (Ne) decreased, however, since 2018 the decline in the size of the effective population has not been so rapid. In 2000, the Ne was 316 animals, and in 2020, it was 101 animals. Over the years, changes in the average inbreeding level in the LSB population were observed from year to year. In 2000, inbreeding was 1.39%, and in 2020 it was 1.47% with the average inbreeding level of 1.12%. Over the last 20 years, large changes in Ne have been observed, thus, the loss of genetic diversity in the LSB breed should be controlled.

The commodity rice in Indonesia and the administration of rice fields are given particular focus by the government. Spraying activities are known to increase the risk of exposure to chemicals for farmers, resulting in a loss of working days for 3–7 days. It is necessary to carry out ergonomic interventions for spraying activities to make the activity safer for farmers. This research aims to identify the ergonomics and safety problems of spraying activities in rice field farming, to analyse and develop intervention parameters to solve issues in spraying activities, and to generate innovative design concepts to overcome spraying problems. Prospective users assign importance weights to the twelve functional requirements. The light sprayer has the highest weight, meaning users need a lightweight sprayer. The relationship between the customer and the functional requirements can be strong, moderate, weak, and zero (no ties). This relationship determines the technical importance of the rating. From the assessment of the relationship between the customer and the functional requirements, it can be seen which technical specifications should be prioritised for developing the product. An automated system is the technical specification that should be prioritised because it has the most significant weight on meeting the consumer needs.

Plague, a highly infectious disease caused by Yersinia pestis, has killed millions of people in history and is still active in the natural foci of the world nowadays. Understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of plague outbreaks in history is critically important, as it may help facilitate the prevention and control for potential future outbreaks. This study's objective was to estimate the effect of the topography, vegetation, climate, and other environmental factors on the Y. pestis ecological niche. A maximum entropy algorithm spatially modelled plague occurrence data from 2004-2018 and the environmental variables to evaluate the contribution of the variables to the distribution of Y. pestis. Our results found that the average minimum temperature in September (-8 °C to +5 °C) and the sheep population density (250 sheep per km²) were influential in characterising the niche. The rim of Qinghai Lake showed more favourable conditions for Y. pestis presence than other areas within the study area. Identifying various factors will assist any future modelling efforts. Our suitability map identifies hotspots and will help public health officials in resource allocation in their quest to abate future plague outbreaks.

A 4 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation levels (0, 5 and 10 g/kg) of chamomile flower powder and a level (60 mg/kg) of salinomycin on performance and gut health of broiler chickens under coccidiosis challenge. A total of 320-day-old Ross 308 broilers were assigned to eight treatments of four replicates with 10 birds. Oral inoculation of the challenged groups with Eimeria tenella occurred on day 8. On day 10, disease challenge and additive level significantly (P = 0.003) interacted, decreasing the feed intake. Feed intake significantly (P ≤ 0.001) decreased in birds supplemented with 10 g/kg of chamomile. At 35 days, birds fed chamomile and anticoccidial significantly (P = 0.001) increased body weight (BW) and weight gain (WG). Disease challenge adversely influenced (P = 0.001) BW and WG. Additive level and disease challenge significantly (P = 0.001) interacted on feed conversion ratio (FCR). Anticoccidial and chamomile improved (P = 0.001) FCR of birds regardless of the rearing conditions. Significantly (P = 0.001) better FCR was observed in the unchallenged birds. The interaction of experimental factors was significant (P ≤ 0.04) on the relative weight of bursa. Disease challenge significantly (P = 0.005) increased the relative weight of liver whereas that of bursa decreased. Cholesterol (P = 0.002), albumin/globulin (P = 0.009), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P = 0.002) and alanine transaminase (ALT) (P = 0.001) significantly increased in challenged birds. The interaction of experimental factors was significant (P = 0.002) on villus length, crypt depth and villus height/crypt depth ratio (P = 0.001). Longer (P = 0.001) villi were found in anticoccidial and chamomile supplemented birds. Coccidiosis adversely (P = 0.001) influenced the jejunum morphology. Crypt depth decreased and villus height/crypt depth increased in chamomile offered birds (P = 0.001) regardless of the challenge conditions. Bursal morphology was significantly influenced by experimental factors. Dietary supplementation of chamomile had positive effects on broiler performance, immunity and intestinal morphology during exposure to the E. tenella parasite. Chamomile could be used as a potential natural anticoccidial in broiler nutrition.

The present study aimed to evaluate the use of biochar as a feed additive on nutrient utilization and livestock performance by employing a meta-analysis method. Various in vitro and in vivo studies regarding the effects of biochar on rumen fermentation, nutrient disappearance, total gas, methane production, microbial population, feed intake, growth performance, blood constituents, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention were tabulated in a database. Data were analysed using the mixed model method in which the different studies were considered as random effects while the biochar addition was treated as a fixed effect. The addition of biochar reduced methane production (quadratic pattern; P < 0.05), but increased the total gas production (P < 0.001). Addition of biochar decreased (quadratic pattern; P < 0.05) volatile fatty acids and acetic acid in the in vitro rumen fermentation data. In the in vivo data, a reduction in feed conversion ratio (quadratic pattern; P < 0.05), as well as a reduction (P < 0.05) in the feed intake parameters of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fibre were observed with biochar addition. Ammonia production and propionic acid tended to increase linearly (P < 0.05) with the biochar supplementation. The biochar supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the nutrient digestibility (dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre) and nitrogen retention. In conclusion, biochar supplementation of ruminant diet modulates rumen fermentation by increasing propionic acid but decreasing methane emissions, and enhances livestock performance by increasing nutrient digestibility, growth performance as well as nitrogen retention.

Food security is of great importance to all countries. Correspondingly, agricultural price insurance is an important tool to maintain food security. This study adopts the traditional spider web model to establish a mathematical framework for exploring the internal mechanism of agricultural price insurance, which can ease the volatility of the agricultural market. Then, the influence of agricultural price insurance on the supply of agricultural products is examined. The findings show that the supply elasticity of most agricultural products is greater than the demand elasticity, with agricultural product markets presenting a natural divergence. Agricultural price insurance changes the supply curve of agricultural products by reducing their supply elasticity, subsequently positively affecting the reduction of price fluctuation and the stabilisation of outputs. Agricultural price insurance can even change agricultural product markets under certain conditions, allowing a shift from divergence to convergence. Moreover, by adjusting the insurance parameters of agricultural prices, the equilibrium yield and price can be changed, and the planting area and income of farmers can be maximised. The mathematical basis for agricultural insurance derived in this study can support food security strategies at the national level and further provide a theoretical basis to formulate policies and departmental measures.

The effects of biofertilizers on the growth, yielding, and nutritional status of apple trees (in comparison with the standard mineral fertilization) was evaluated in 3-years experiment (2018–2020). The experiment included the following treatments: (i) Super Fos Dar, (ii) Polifoska 6, (iii) Super Fos Dar + fungi (Aspergillus niger, Purpureocillium lilacinum), (iv) Urea enriched with fungi, (v) Urea dose reduced to 60% enriched with fungi, (vi) Super Fos Dar + bacteria applied on their own to the soil (Bacillus sp., Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Paenibacillus polymyxa), (vii) Super Fos Dar enriched with bacteria, (viii) Super Fos Dar 60% enriched with bacteria, (ix) Polifoska 6 enriched with bacteria, (x) Polifoska 6 60% enriched with bacteria. The application of mineral fertilizers (even in reduced doses) enriched with beneficial microorganisms enhanced the growth of apple trees. The most abundant flowering was recorded when fertilization (with Super Fos Dar) was supplemented with beneficial microorganisms applied to the soil. No significant differences in plant yielding were noted (due to damages caused by spring frosts), but the highest fruit weight was recorded in the case of the trees fertilized with microbiologically enriched Super Fos Dar.

The presented research deals with the effect of plot size changes on the crop yield. Three plots were chosen in a company engaged in conventional agriculture, on which yields were monitored from 2019 using yield maps. In 2020, the plots (initial size > 30 ha) were divided into different parts sized < 30 ha. In 2021, these newly arisen parts of the plots were harvested. Changes in the yield of grown crops were analysed using yield maps acquired by the harvesting machines. Relative yields (%) and absolute yields (t/ha) were determined on all experimental land parts arising from the initial plots’ division. The values were then compared with yields recorded before the division of individual plots using zonal statistics. Measured relative yield values clearly show (P < 0.05) that the division of plots resulted in the increased heterogeneity of crop yields. On the initial plots as well as on the newly arisen plots, the relative yield was divided into the following categories: < 70, 70–85, 85–95, 95–105, 105–115, 115–130 and > 130%, with the value of 100% representing average yield. The analysis of measured yield data showed that the division of plots into smaller parts resulted in an uneven yield distribution because if a divided plot was heterogeneous in terms of yield levels, a cumulation of "higher yield levels (> 100%)" could have occurred in one specific newly arisen plot at the expense of another one. Moreover, new marginal parts of lands came into being during the division of larger soil complexes, and hence zones with potentially reduced yields.

In recent years, the external shock represented by COVID-19 has caused significant fluctuations in global corn prices. Based on the weekly data on international corn prices from 2020 to 2023, this paper constructs autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH) class and time-varying parameter – vector autoregression (TVP-VAR) models. After analysing the characteristics of corn price fluctuations, it further analyses the influence of external uncertainties such as COVID-19, international finance, the corn futures market, and international exports of corn on corn price fluctuations. The results show that international corn price fluctuations always have significant asymmetry. Nevertheless, the influence of past changes on the future will gradually disappear, and the corn market is not characterised by high risk and high return because of the phenomenon of flat or declining absolute returns during the periods of high volatility. All the selected external shocks also have a time-varying impact on corn price fluctuations, and there are differences in the impact size, impact direction, and impact duration. The external shocks led by COVID-19 had a transmission effect on other factors and then affected corn price fluctuations.

A growing world population means greater pressure on earth’s resources. Currently, 30% of food is wasted, which poses a significant risk to both humans and the environment. One way to offset the growth in food waste (FW) is through the process of microbial bioconversion, whereby FW is transformed into a range of nutrient-dense biofertilisers. This approach not only promotes a highly desirable circular economy, but it can also reduce the use of inorganic fertilisers, which adversely impact the environment through increased greenhouse gases, changes in soil and water characteristics, and loss of biodiversity. The bioconversion of FW to biofertiliser relies on the processes of aerobic (composting) and anaerobic digestion. Recently, alternative decomposition techniques included growing specific beneficial microbes, such as effective microorganisms, to speed up the breakdown process. Microorganisms can act as biostimulants and biodecomposers, possessing nutrient-fixing abilities and providing protection from biotic and abiotic stresses, thus enhancing plant growth and overall health. The potential uses of FW are complex and diverse, but research is actively done to effectively utilise this resource for biofertiliser applications.

Breadfruit's substantial carbohydrate content makes it a viable starch source, specifically resistant starch (RS) that helps prevent chronic diseases. This study investigated the effects of enzyme hydrolysis and microwave treatment (MT) on enriching type III RS in breadfruit. It also determined its structural and functional properties, including swelling power, solubility index, water absorption capacity, oil binding capacity, and syneresis. MT at 30 W·g^–1 for 3 min resulted in the highest RS content of 74.8%, significantly surpassing pullulanase hydrolysis (1.0 U·g^–1 dry basis for 12 h) at 17.3% RS. The breadfruit starch granules exhibited a regular shape, approximately 7.9 µm in length, whereas modified granules were less than 11 µm, along with observable deformation in their structural shape. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the efficacy of MT for enhancing RS content in breadfruit, highlighting its potential as a healthy functional ingredient and starch substitute.

Amorphophallus spp. is an important group of crop and medicinal plants, but it is susceptible to infection by soft rot disease during both field growth and storage stages. This results in huge economic and yield losses, which must be properly addressed. Combined applications of Biological Control Agents (BCAs) and compatible chemicals have been recently considered as a more effective and reliable method to control bacterial soft rot. In the present study, we investigated the control effects against soft rot pathogenic bacteria Pectobacterium aroidearum MY11, using a BCA strain (i.e. Bacillus velezensis BCP6) and screening for three different bactericides, i.e. Jinggangmycin (JGM), Thiodiazole copper and Qingkulike. After exploring a joint application of BCP6 with chemicals, we found that JGM was the most effective and compatible bactericide to be compounded with BCP6. First, in the in vitro experiment, the mixture of JGM (34 mg/L) and suspension of BCP6 (1.0 × 108 cfu/mL) at 4:6 volume ratio performed with the strongest inhibitory effect on P. aroidearum MY11 (53.40%) and synergistic effect (1.78); this combination also significantly increased the biofilm production by BCP6, and constrained the swimming motility of P. aroidearum MY11 in agar plates and inhibited activities of cell wall-degrading enzymes. Second, the combined application of JGM and BPC6 reached up to 95.81% of control efficacy against P. aroidearum MY11 in a greenhouse experiment, and compared to JGM or BCP6 alone, combined application effectively increased konjac plant resistance to soft rot in the field, showing a synergistic action. Collectively, these results provided an alternative method for the management of soft rot disease in konjac planting.

Tuna meat (Thunnus atlanticus – blackfin tuna) and purslane flour (Portulaca oleracea L.), which contain high protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids but are low fat and cholesterol, are used to substitute beef and tapioca flour to produce quality meatballs. This study aims to determine the effect of substituting beef and tapioca flour with tuna meat and purslane flour on meatballs' chemical, physical, and sensory quality. The beef was substituted with 40% tuna meat, and tapioca flour was substituted with 0, 10, and 20% purslane flour. The data obtained were analysed using a complete randomised design, with three treatments and five replications, respectively, and further tested with the Duncan test. The results showed that increasing the level of purslane flour can increase (P < 0.01) the chemical quality (water, protein, fat, ash, and omega-3) but decrease (P < 0.01) the cholesterol of the meatballs. Physical quality (water holding capacity and sensory quality (colour) of meatballs were increased (P < 0.01), but taste and acceptability were decreased (P < 0.01). It can be concluded that substituting beef and tapioca flour with tuna meat and purslane flour can increase the chemical and physical quality.

Fujian Province, China was chosen as the study area for estimating the marginal agricultural abatement costs within the province based on data for 2010–2020. The study employed these estimations as a pivotal factor affecting the efficiency of carbon emissions reduction, constructed an index model to gauge the potential of agricultural carbon emissions reduction, and delved into the urban agricultural carbon emissions reduction potential from the perspectives of economic development rights (equity) and carbon emissions reduction difficulty (efficiency). Our findings indicated a marked regional disparity in the marginal abatement costs of agriculture across Fujian Province, with the highest recorded at EUR 1.3771 × 108 per 104 tonnes and the lowest at EUR 0.6526 × 108 per 104 tonnes, albeit demonstrating general upward inter-annual trends. Furthermore, the assessment of agricultural carbon emissions reduction potential, grounded in the principles of equity and efficiency, revealed four distinct developmental tiers. Resource allocation pathways for carbon emissions reduction were subsequently delineated, informed by the stratification of high- and low-carbon emissions reduction potential indices alongside typological characteristics. The outcomes of this study offer strategic guidance to the government of Fujian Province in crafting suitable carbon emissions reduction strategies and in devising targeted action plans aimed at achieving the twin goals of 'carbon peaking' and 'carbon neutrality'.

This study aimed to determine the effect of carob molasses pulp flour (CMP) at 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% on the chemical composition and properties of eggless semolina pasta in terms of colour, nutritional value, cooking quality, and sensory properties. As presumed, carbohydrate and energy values of CMP-added pasta (carbohydrates 73.31–77.40%) were lower than the control (82.17%), whereas dietary fibre values were up to 4 times higher (8.18–12.60% vs. 3.71%). There was not a significant difference in the amount of fat (0.48–0.70%), optimum cooking time (6.56–7.06 min), or cooking loss (10.43–12.57%) of CMP-added pasta compared to the non-enriched counterpart (P > 0.05). All formulations were sufficient in terms of sensory properties; colour shift occurred in the direction from standard yellow to the dark brown area. The results showed that even the maximal tested dosage of the CMP equal to 10.0% could produce pasta with satisfying overall quality.

The land in the South Tasikmalaya Regency is dominated by dry land with a steep and hilly land contour. In addition, the area has a shallow soil solum, so it has a high potential for erosion and landslides. Therefore, it is necessary to innovate an integrated cultivation system that is economically feasible, but still maintains environmental sustainability. In this research, the aim is to formulate a model for the development of integrated plantation polyculture farming (IPPF) for the welfare of farmers. The method in this study uses a mixed method design. The location of the research carried out is in the Tasikmalaya Regency. The data used are the results of interviews and questionnaires to 250 IPPF farmers. The data used were obtained by multistage cluster random sampling. The sustainable IPPF development model was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). This analysis is used to determine the various potential capital factors for agricultural development on the sustainable development of the IPPF and farmers’ welfare. The results of the study show that the potential development capital [natural resources (SDA) capital, economic capital, socio-cultural capital, physical capital, and multifunctional IPPF], jointly or partially affect the IPPF sustainability. Human resource capital has no effect on the sustainable IPPF development, while the sustainable IPPF development affects the farmers’ welfare levels, and the potential agricultural development capital and its multifunctionality affect the sustainable IPPF development and farmers’ welfare. The IPPF development model that improves the welfare of farmers is carried out through the development of specific local superior commodities, increasing the added value and cooperation, developing access to credit, regenerating farmers, sustainable assistance and infrastructure improvements. The results of this study are expected to be a reference for the government in improving IPPF sustainability to achieve the welfare of its farmers. Apart from that, the model that has been developed can make a contribution to science in the form of a comprehensive analysis of the factors that influence the sustainability of IPPF.

This study aimed to examine the changes in selected soil properties at Lítov spoil heap (Sokolov, Czech Republic) and compare the current situation with the situation described twenty years ago. A total of 110 soil samples were taken at Lítov at the same sites as in 1998. The analyses of basic soil characteristics involved: exchangeable soil pH (pH_KCl), organic carbon content (C_ox), quality of humic substances (A_400/A₆₀₀), exchangeable acidity (E_a), and two types of aluminium contents in the soil. Changes in all soil characteristics between 1998 and 2018 were statistically evaluated, compared, and visualized using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). We have observed an increase of pH_KCl, C_ox and a slight improvement in humus quality compared to the results from 1998. The temporal changes of soil characteristics were evident in the whole area, and the influence of reclamation methods was also pronounced. Soil development close to the regional common natural conditions was found in the area where agricultural reclamation measures (i.e., covering with topsoil) were carried out. Furthermore, afforestation – mainly by deciduous trees – supported the improvement of soil characteristics favourable for plant growth. High pyrite content and marshland were identified as the main causes that led to vegetation cover mortality.

In this study, Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S and ITS2 rRNA genes were used to determine the dynamic changes in bacterial and fungal communities and soil properties and enzyme activities in rhizosphere soil of ginseng under forest after 5, 10 and 15 years of cultivation and different growth stages. Results showed that the changes were particularly prominent in 10-year-old ginseng under forest, and the trends of organic carbon, alkaline hydrolysed nitrogen, and available potassium were extremely similar in different duration of the crop, especially in the middle stage of rapid root growth, when soil nutrient consumption was severe, and soil enzyme activities of rhizosphere were significantly reduced. The observed changes in soil properties and enzyme activities caused by the cultivation duration of the crop and growth stage could be explained by the variations in the microbiome. The microbial composition of 10-year-old ginseng under forest has undergone significant changes, at the genus level, both Acinetobacter bacteria and Kazachstania fungi exhibited a higher abundance; the abundance of Bacillota (Firmicutes), and Candidatus udaeobacter with significantly lower abundance. This study initially revealed the changes in nutrient utilisation of ginseng under forest at different cultivation duration of the crop and different growth stages, as well as the regulatory role played by microbes in this process preliminarily. We consider 10 years to be a critical stage for the long-term cultivation of ginseng in the forest, during which it is more sensitive to environmental factors and may exhibit special dynamic changes affecting its growth and quality. This provides a reference for further precision planting and harvesting of ginseng under the forest.

Evaluation of genetic resources of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) from different geographical areas using molecular markers (RAPD) is of great importance in the breeding process. A total of 90 polymorphic amplified products were obtained from 10 decametric RAPD primers, used to analyse the genetic diversity of 20 genotypes of eggplant (16 local and 4 genotypes of foreign origin). The highest polymorphism was determined using the OPAF-16 primer (70.83%). The number of detected bands ranged from 13 (OPF-04) to 24 (OPAF-16), while the average number of bands per primer was 17.2. The lengths of the amplified fragments ranged from 400 to 9 000 bp. The value of the Jaccard’s genetic distance coefficient ranged from 0.095 to 0.35, and the dendrogram constructed using the UPGMA method showed that 16 local and 4 foreign genotypes were grouped into nine groups (clusters). Populations K1, K8/1, K19, K22, K25 and K38 represent genotypes that separated from the others and formed single clusters. The lowest value of the calculated genetic distance was 0.095 between domestic genotypes K13 and K12, which also showed morphological similarity in terms of shape and colour. On the other hand, the highest value of genetic distance was calculated between foreign genotypes K19 and K25 (0.35), K19 and K34 (0.34) and K19 and K38 (0.34). Genetically distinct genotypes identified using RAPD markers could be potential starting genetic material for crossing with other genotypes to obtain new and improved eggplant varieties.

Industrial dairy farms boast highly advanced health monitoring and disease diagnosis systems. But without easily accessible, user-friendly web platforms for real-time decision-making, most dairy farmers cannot proactively manage herd health management and optimize treatments based on disease prediction and prevention. To bridge this gap, we have developed a web application of a Decision support system (DSS) for dairy health management based on machine learning. The system architecture combines a Flask backend with a React frontend and scalable cloud data storage and includes preprocessing, data integration, predictive modelling, and cost analysis. DSS forecasts herd diseases with an accuracy 6.66 mean absolute error and 2.35 median absolute deviation across predictions. Its core predictive capabilities rely on long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks to forecast disease progression from historical records and on a linear trend model to project cuts in treatment costs. The system calculates medication dosages and cost per disease, streamlines supplier selection, and simulates various treatment scenarios, thereby identifying high-cost diseases with potential savings. In other words, this DSS application processes disease and treatment data by incorporating veterinary records into advanced data analytics and neural networks, thereby predicting diseases, optimizing disease prevention and treatment strategies, and reducing costs. As such, this DSS application provides dairy farmers with a tool for strategic decision-making, veterinary treatment planning, and cost-effective disease management towards improving animal welfare and increasing milk yield.

The objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of 59 accessions of barley using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR), conserved DNA-derived polymorphism (CDDP), and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers. A total of 391 amplified polymorphic bands were generated using 44 ISSR, 9 CDDP, and 12 SCoT primers that produced 255, 35, and 101 polymorphic bands, respectively. The average values of gene diversity were 0.77, 0.67, and 0.81 for ISSR, CDDP, and SCoT markers, respectively. The mean values of polymorphism information content for ISSR, CDDP and SCoT markers were 0.74, 0.63, and 0.80 respectively. The discrimination power of the three approaches for assessing allelic diversity in barley accessions ranked as follows: SCoT > ISSR > CDDP. The barley accessions were classified and clustered into two main groups. Molecular variance analysis revealed 15, 9, and 14% variability among populations with ISSR, CDDP, and SCoT markers, respectively. The Mantel test results revealed that the three molecular marker matrices had significant positive relationships. The SCoT markers might be useful tools for selecting appropriate parents for a breeding program.

By choosing appropriate candidate reference genes (CRGs) and standardizing qPCR data, more accurate experimental data can be obtained. Herein, the expression stability of alpha-tubulin1 (TUA1), beta-tubulin (TUB), beta-tubulin 1 (TUB1), beta-tubulin 5 (TUB5), actin 1 (ACT1), actin 97 (ACT97), molecular chaperone dnaj (DNAJ), adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APT), and histone H4 (HIS4) genes from Paulownia fortunei (Seem.) Hemsl. under different experimental conditions (different tissues, drought, salinity, Cd, and Cr treatments) was assessed with four statistical tools: RefFinder, BestKeeper, NormFinder, and geNorm. Notably, TUA1 and TUB5 were identified as CRGs for different tissues, ACT97 and TUB1 for drought treatment, ACT97 and APT for salinity treatment, TUB1 and ACT97 for Cd treatment, and DNAJ, TUB1 and TUB5 for Cr treatment. Furthermore, the results of “total” group, V₄/V₅ > 0.15 and V₅/V₆ < 0.15 revealed that the CRGs or gene combinations, which could meet all the test conditions, were not easy to identify. To further verify the reliability of CRGs, the expression levels of paulownia fortunei cellulose synthase A catalytic subunit2 (PfCesA2) and paulownia fortunei glutathione reductase (GR) genes were analysed. The expression patterns were different when the unstable CRGs were used for normalization compared to when the stable CRGs and combination were used for normalization. This study will lay a foundation for study on the expression levels of key genes from P. fortunei seedlings.

In this study, the effects of vitamin D₃ (Vit. D) and a stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L. (UD)) extract were examined using histopathological and immunohistochemical methods in the stomach tissues of an experimentally created rat model of CD. The CD model was created using trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). The animals in the study were divided into control, TNBS, TNBS+Vit. D, and TNBS+UD groups. At the end of the experiment, the animals were euthanised and their stomach tissues were evaluated for necrosis, degeneration, apoptosis, and inflammation. Additionally, an immunohistochemical method was applied to determine the somatostatin (SSTR), aquaporin-1 (AQP-1), caspase-3, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) immunoreactivity in the gastric tissues. In the evaluations, degenerative and necrotic changes and mononuclear cell infiltration areas were observed in the TNBS group, but such changes could be improved with Vit. D and UD applications. The results suggest that the combination of the Vit. D and UD extract may have a protective and therapeutic role in mitigating TNBS-induced damage to the gastric tissues, potentially through the regulation of SSTR, AQP-1, caspase-3, and TNF-α expression. This indicates a promising avenue for further research and the exploration of these compounds in the context of gastrointestinal health.

Multiple primary malignant tumours (MPMTs) are multiple neoplasms with independent pathogenetic origins, placing great importance on the tumorigenesis and clinical treatment. However, due to the rare occurrence and diagnostic confusion, MPMTs have rarely been investigated in veterinary medicine. In this report, a 10-year-old intact female Maltese dog had MPMTs, consisting of two malignant tumours and one benign tumour each derived from a topographically different site: tubular carcinoma in the mammary glands, leiomyosarcoma in the uterus and sebaceous epithelioma in the cheek. The unique combination of MPMTs would be the first case in veterinary research to give insight into the diagnosis, disease characteristics, and surgical treatment.

Rongchang piglets were easily induced to cold stress and diarrhoea in the winter when raised in an open hog house. However, they also gradually recovered under mid-cold stress. Other studies have suggested gut microbiome might be involved in the host energy metabolism to relieve stress. To study how to adapt Rongchang piglets to cold stress by gut microbiome, thirty Rongchang piglets were randomly divided into a mild cold stress group and a control group for 30 consecutive days. The findings revealed that the piglets had low growth performance and a high diarrhoea rate and mortality rate during the first half of the cold treatment, but subsequently stabilised. The level of cortisol (COR) also displayed a similar trend. In the mild cold stress group, the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae significantly increased on day 15, and the predominant bacterial on day 30 was Lactobacillus sp. Our results indicated that the Rongchang piglet’s production performance and health were impaired at the start of the mild cold stress. However, as time passed, the body could progressively adapt to the low temperature, and Lactobacillus sp. participated in this process. This study provides new insight into how to alleviate health damage caused by cold stress.

Water deficit (drought) is an important environmental factor affecting physiological processes in plants. The present work focuses on the study of changes in physiological responses of juvenile plants (plants in the vegetative phase of growth BBCH 14–16) of selected sorghum genotypes Dokok, 30485, Barnard Red and Ruzrok to water deficit and after rehydration. Water deficit affected the observed physiological parameters – gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence. Genotypic differences were also confirmed, with Dokok appearing to be the more sensitive genotype and Ruzrok and Barnard Red appearing to be tolerant. Following rehydration, these parameters increased but did not reach the levels of the control plants. A significant decrease in photosynthetic rate (P_n), transpiration (E) and fluorescence compared to the control was found in the water-deficient variant twice for 10 days and 6 days between rehydration periods. Only in the variant where water deficit (14 days) was followed by irrigation (10 days) transpiration increased in genotype 30485. Chlorophyll fluorescence (F_v/F_m) also decreased significantly in this cultivar. The results suggest that a rehydration period of 14 days is insufficient to restore the photosynthetic functions of stressed sorghum plants.

Summer maize cultivars are differently sensitive to soil moisture. To better understand the differences in water productivity of summer maize cultivars with different water sensitivity, a field experiment was conducted from 2020 to 2022. Three different water-sensitive summer maize cultivars were selected, including TY808 (high water-sensitive cultivar), DH605 (medium water-sensitive cultivar), and ZD958 (low water-sensitive cultivar). Soil water content (SWC), soil water storage (SWS), water consumption, water use efficiency, and grain yield were determined. The results showed that under rainfed conditions, the SWC of the medium water-sensitive cultivar DH605 in the deep soil layer was 2.1–18.2% lower than TY808 and ZD958, respectively, and the differences were significant in the 12th leaf stage (V12) and vegetative tassel stage (VT). The SWS of the high-water-sensitive cultivar TY808 was 0.7% to 6.4% higher than the other two water-sensitive cultivars from 2020 to 2022. The changes in SWS are related to the spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation. The water consumption of DH605 was higher than TY808 and ZD958 by 5.3% and 7.09% in 2020 and 2.9% and 2.8% in 2021; in 2022, DH605 is 2% higher than ZD958 and 2.8% lower than TY808, respectively. The yield of DH605 was 4.3–10.78% higher than the other two cultivars in the three-year experiment. Additionally, the 1 000-kernel weight of DH605 was the highest in TY808 and ZD958. DH605 has the highest water use efficiency, which was increased by 4.8–14.6% compared to TY808 and ZD958. Through path analysis, we found that the direct path coefficient of SWS in the VT stage on yield reached 0.999, indicating that soil moisture in the VT stage has the greatest impact on yield, followed by the blister stage (R2). In conclusion, our results suggest that the water consumption of summer maize during the VT stage is the highest, and the soil moisture condition in VT significantly affects the grain yield of summer. Planting DH605 in the North China Plain would harvest the maximum grain yield and water productivity.

The aim of this trial was to verify the influence of various autumn-applied nitrogen fertilisers on the growth, yield and quality of winter oilseed rape. In the three years, small-plot field trials were carried out at the Research Station Červený Újezd (50.0697044N, 14.1659086E). The hybrid cultivar DK Exstorm was chosen, with a sowing rate of 50 seeds/m2. Five fertilisation regimes were tested: (1) nitrogen-free control; (2) CAN (calcium ammonium nitrate); (3) ANU (ammonium nitrate urea); (4) U (urea), and (5) US (urea with N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric acid triamide (NBPT) inhibitor). A uniform dose of 40 kg N/ha was applied at the end of October. Fertilisers U (leaf length, root collar diameter, leaf and root dry weight) and US (number of leaves and root length) had the best growth outcomes. The highest seed yields were obtained with US (5.83 t/ha) and ANU (5.82 t/ha) applications, which outperformed the unfertilised control by 0.65 and 0.64 t/ha, respectively. CAN fertiliser appears to be unsuitable for autumn fertilisation in terms of yield. There were no statistically significant differences in oil content (%) or thousand seed weight (g) between the treatments in any of the experimental years.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the application of biostimulation and bioventing for the treatment of crude oil-contaminated soils. The research needed to check how various industrial biostimulants will perform in the treatment of contaminated soils and whether or not there is a synergetic effect that has to do with the stimulant composition. Soil samples used for this study were collected from South Africa. The soil samples were air-dried for 24 h and subsequently passed through a standard sieve of 2 mm screen. The soil consists of 79.32% sand (2.00–0.02 mm), 14.71% silt (0.02–0.002 mm) and 5.97% clay (< 0.002 mm). A microcosm system containing 1 kg of soil contaminated with crude oil (5% w/w) for biostimulation (BSTc) treatment was amended with varying ratios of municipal wastewater (MWW) and brewery wastewater (BWW) to investigate the possible synergy. The bioventing (BVTc) treatment involves the supply of atmospheric air to the bioreactors through the vadose zone for 30mins flow duration every 48 h intervals at ambient condition for 28 days. The BSTc and BVTc treatments recorded 48–58% and 54–75% total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal efficiencies, respectively, as the BWW amendment noted appreciable removal compared to MWW, while the control treatment recorded 35%. The result showed that the attempt to boost the TPH removal efficiency using the bioventing with the wastewater amendment was effective, as the presence of enough oxygen in the system resuscitated the activities of the microbial community for enhanced TPH biodegradation. This study inferred that combined bioventing and biostimulation techniques proved to be an effective bioremediation strategy for the treatment of crude oil contaminated soils and could serve as a vital tool towards the mitigation of pollution aftermath faced by communities involved in oil production and/or processing activities.

In order to determine the possibility of using infrared thermography (IRT) in preventing lameness in dairy cows, the aim of this study was to evaluate temperature variations depending on the lesion presence, measurement points and leg position. The study used about 3 000 IRT records from 60 Holstein cows housed in a free-stall barn. Surface temperature measurements were taken at two regions of the hooves: the region of the coronary band, and the region of the skin up to 2 cm above the coronary band. A highly significant (P = 0.004; 0.006, P < 0.01) difference in temperature was observed between healthy and diseased legs at both measurement points. Additionally, a significant (P = 0.029; 0.037; 0.045; 0.012; 0.018, P < 0.05) or highly significant (P = 0.004; 0.006, P < 0.01) difference in temperature values between the front and rear legs was established for both measurement points, i.e., the coronary band and the skin. Despite confirming the potential applicability of infrared thermography in the detection of lameness, it is crucial to consider the significant influences of the environmental factors, impurities, and animal-related factors.